Antonio Valentino Ramirez, 35, of Fontana was taken into custody after a shoot-out with Fontana police in San Bernardino. Police say Ramirez is the prime suspect in the shooting of a man late Friday night in Fontana.
Courtesy Photo

SAN BERNARDINO >> A man was flat on his stomach in the middle of the street, dead and surrounded by temporary police barriers early Saturday morning, as detectives tried to piece together what led to a Fontana officer-involved shooting here.

Shortly after 3:30 a.m., Fontana police officers investigating an attempted murder of a 37-year-old man in their city Friday night, shot and killed a man armed with a sawed-off high-powered rifle on North Davidson Avenue, according to San Bernardino police.

At 10:45 p.m. Friday, Fontana police investigated a shooting that left one man who was shot in the upper torso in grave condition, police said.

Fontana police learned that a house in the 800 block of North Davidson Avenue in San Bernardino was associated with the possible shooters, San Bernardino police Sgt. Gary Robertson said.

“Four officers in one car were watching the Davidson Avenue house when two men quietly approached the unmarked police car from the rear,” he said. “Both men were armed, and officers, in fear of their life, opened fire on the suspects.”

One of the suspects, identified as James Moala Kofu, 22, of Fontana, died at the scene, police said. His weapon reportedly was recovered nearby.

The other suspect, identified as Antonio Valentino Ramirez, 35, of Fontana, was taken into custody a short time later, Robertson said.

Police say Ramirez was armed with a handgun when he was arrested and is the prime suspect in the Fontana shooting.

Police also said a woman was taken into custody at the Davidson Avenue address in connection with the attempted murder in Fontana. Her identity was withheld.

No officers were injured and police will be seeking four counts of attempted murder of a police officer and one count of attempted murder for the Fontana shooting when the case is submitted to the District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Detective John Munoz at 909-384-5630 or Sgt. Gary Robertson at 909-841-5361.